My Hope Chest Map of Client Wait List

Breast Cancer Awareness Month… uh uh….nope, that is simply not the case.

My Hope Chest is beyond hearing about this notorious month and the obvious “commercialism” that it has created… kind of like the Easter Bunny at Easter… not really the point of the holiday. October is breast cancer ACTION month and we will tell you why.

What this “awareness” movement has done to grassroots organizations like MHC, fueled by multi-million dollar pink ribbon marketing campaigns targeting mostly breast cancer survivors and friends and family, has made our effort to raise funds and provide surgeries for our important and unique mission amazingly challenging. The power of the BIG pink ribbons has keep MHC in the shadows and created an “assumption” that every aspect of the disease is being covered… and if it were, we would be happy!

“Breast cancer Awareness” is not a charity.

It is not an organization nor do most folks really seem to care where the “awareness and education” funds go. How many, MANY organizations hold events to raise money for “awareness”… we haven’t counted lately but too many is accurate.

LOOK…at this map!

Pink pinpoints are popping up weekly denoting where breastless applicants of MHC are waiting. While we have surgeons participating in several states, the funding is simply not there to recruit and navigate these surgeons quick enough. It is a long, complex process of getting through red tape creating partnerships with the surgeons, their hospital or surgery facility and their anesthesia team.

My Hope Chest is helping 7-10 women a year on our “wait list” but it should be 70+ as we know the need is far greater than even this map shows… Survivors needing breast reconstruction simply don’t know we exist yet and many probably “gave up” the thought of there ever being an opportunity to acquire this surgery lacking the out of pocket, “cash pay” funds of $20-$25,000 for Tissue Expander (implant surgeries) and in the $100,000’s of thousands for the more complex micro surgeries called Flap- Diep or Tram, using a woman’s own body (tummy) tissue.